Nottingham Trent University has formalised a broader role in Thailand’s push to build artificial intelligence capability, entrepreneurship, and future-ready skills through a new agreement with the country’s higher education ministry and renewed ties with Chiang Mai University.
The work will be led by the Centre for Business and Industry Transformation, part of Nottingham Business School. NTU said the partnership will connect academic learning with practical application, helping students, researchers, and professionals develop entrepreneurial capability and move ideas into viable ventures.
The collaboration builds on several years of joint activity, but has now been formalised through a new memorandum of understanding between NTU and Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, alongside the renewal of an earlier agreement between NTU and Chiang Mai University.
Under the arrangement, the Centre for Business and Industry Transformation will work with both organisations on programme design, teaching, mentoring, and ecosystem development. A sister-centre model linking the centre with Chiang Mai University’s Science and Technology Park will support joint programme delivery, AI-enabled education, applied research, industry engagement, and future funding opportunities.
A flagship part of the partnership is the Experiential Learning Programme, funded by MHESI and led by Chiang Mai University with NTU as the UK partner. The programme brings Thai students to the UK for intensive entrepreneurial training. NTU said it has already hosted two cohorts, providing mentoring, market validation, venture development support, and exposure to international business environments.
NTU will also continue to lead a Train-the-Trainer programme funded through the British Council’s International Science Partnerships Fund and co-supported by Thai research agencies. The initiative is designed to build local mentoring capacity and has so far upskilled 40 mentors to support the commercialisation efforts of 120 researchers.
More recently, NTU and Chiang Mai University launched an AI Skills Training and Workforce Development programme, including a specialist AI training centre in northern Thailand. The programme delivers short courses and hands-on workshops for industry leaders across several sectors.
Professor Dave Petley, Vice-Chancellor of NTU, said: “We are pleased to continue our partnership with CMU, which has evolved through a series of impactful programmes and grants that demonstrate a strong foundation of mutual trust and shared strategic priorities.
“By combining NTU’s strengths in entrepreneurship, digital transformation and applied research with Thailand’s national priorities, we are developing programmes that support skills, AI-driven entrepreneurship and sustainable growth.
“Crucially, this partnership is not just about individual projects; it is about building lasting relationships that support people, communities and economies, both in Thailand and in the UK.”
Professor Xiao Ma, Director of the Centre for Business and Industry Transformation, added: “The MHESI–NTU memorandum of understanding elevates our partnership to a national strategic level, allowing successful initiatives in artificial intelligence, innovation and workforce development to be scaled across Thailand’s higher education and industry ecosystems.
“Entrepreneurship education is most effective when it is grounded in real challenges and real contexts. Through CBIT, we are working with our partners in Thailand to build programmes that develop talent, strengthen local innovation ecosystems and enable ideas to move into real-world impact.”
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